When the ‘self’ longs for a sinful pleasure, it usually makes the person fail to notice the consequences and punishment of the sin. He then hears the voice of his intellect warning him, ‘Woe to you! Do not do it! If you do not listen to me then not only will that sin lower your status and stop you from being raised to higher ranks; you will be left alone with what you have chosen!’ If one’s sinful desires became overwhelming and the advice of his intellect went unheeded, he will continue to slip down in ranks.
The example of such a person will be like a dog begging a lion – the king of all beasts – to change his name for he finds it very ugly. The lion refuses his request and explains that dogs are double-crossers and dog is the only name befitting him! The dog begs to be given a chance to prove the lion wrong, so the lion agrees and gives the dog a piece of a meat and tells him if he can manage to protect it until the next day he will change his name. During the day, the dog feels hunger and starts staring at the piece of meat while trying to be patient.
However later he becomes so hungry that he says to himself, ‘what is wrong with my name?!’ In fact I find it to be a very nice name! He then proceeds to eat the meat. This is the case of the one whose endeavour is low, since he accepts the lowest ranks and prefers the immediate outcome of his sinful desires over the awaited virtues and reward.
Beware the fire of desires for it spreads, and you are left thinking about how extinguish it. It takes nothing but a small slip for a person to fall in a deep hole, so and a tiny step leaves a mark that never can be removed! Indeed what is gone and missed cannot be restored or caught up. Thus, stay away from the causes of trials and temptations for it is rare to find a person roaming around them and make it unscathed.
[Captured Thoughts by Ibn Al-Jawzi, p. 454-455]
